Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign is looking for an “escape hatch” ahead of Tuesday's presidential debate on ABC News, Trump campaign senior adviser Jason Miller told Fox News.
Harris' team has notably pushed to change the rules surrounding microphones during the debate, scheduled for Sept. 10, reversing previously long-held agreements to have microphones muted during opposing candidates' speaking time.
Now, his campaign is accused of looking for a way out.
“They're scared,” Miller told “Sunday Morning Futures” guest host Sean Duffy.
HARRIS CAMPAIGN REFUSES TO TIGHTEN RULES FOR MUTE MIC DEBATE: STILL 'IN DISCUSSION' WITH ABC
Kamala Harris' team is accused of trying to pull out of the Sept. 10 ABC News debate against former President Trump. (AP/Stephen B. Morton)
“They don't want Kamala Harris to come out, and they want to know why? Because she's going to have to answer for every part of these last three and a half years. You can't talk about moving on when you're the one who destroyed the economy, destroyed the border, destroyed the world, but that's Kamala's fault, and she's going to have to answer for that when she's on the debate stage.”
Harris’ campaign has still refused to sign off on the already-agreed-upon rules for the upcoming debate, which were initially supposed to mirror guidelines outlined for the CNN debate held between former President Trump and President Biden in June.
“The memo sent by ABC is a draft of a set of rules that both campaigns must approve and indicate they agree to. We have not done so because we believe both candidates have expressed a clear desire for open mics. It is unclear why Trump's staff is overruling their director, who should be able to make his own decisions,” Harris spokesman Brian Fallon wrote in an X post on Thursday.
TRUMP TARGETED ABC HOSTS AND SUGGESTED HE MIGHT WITHDRAW FROM DEBATE
Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump waves to supporters after a town hall campaign event on August 29, 2024 in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Trump's campaign is insisting that the ABC debate maintain existing rules. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
“We have been asked to defer to the wishes of Trump's advisers on this point in order to preserve the debate. We view the Trump team's position as weak and are continuing to negotiate with ABC on the final rules,” he added.
Miller contradicted the Harris campaign's claims, arguing that they now realize “what they're working with” after preparing Harris for the showdown.
“The Harris campaign is looking for a way out, looking for a way out of this debate,” he said.
“Just to be clear, these are the rules that the Democrats wrote. These are the rules that we had in place for the CNN debate. Everyone had agreed to the rules, at least informally, with ABC. We have an agreement with ABC. ABC is with us all the way on this, but here's what I think happened. I think Harris' people started preparing for the debate and now they realize what they're working with. They realize they're in serious trouble with Kamala Harris.”
TRUMP AND HARRIS TO PREPARE FOR PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE ON ABC ON SEPTEMBER 10
He continued: “They also know that President Trump is the greatest debater in modern political history, so I think they're nervous and want a way out.”
Fox News Digital previously reached out to the Harris campaign for comment on the matter, while ABC declined to comment.
Speaking to Fox News Digital, Miller said: “Harris' team, having already agreed to CNN's rules, asked for a sit-down debate with notes and opening statements. We said there would be no changes to the agreed-upon rules. If Kamala Harris isn't smart enough to repeat the points of the message her representatives want her to memorize, that's her problem.”
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Fox News' Lindsay Kornick contributed to this report.
